Orange County property-tax rates
Every levy in the county for FY 2026–27, exactly as billed — county, cities, fire districts, and special districts — and the 21combined-rate zones they create.
Rates effective July 1, 2026 (FY 2026–27) · Verified July 3, 2026
$0.6805
county levy, per $100
21
combined-rate zones
59,317 parcels
$0.7440–1.3937
combined rate range
lowest to highest zone
Cities & towns in Orange County
Municipal levies stack on the county rate. Combined = what most parcels in the town actually pay (* = includes a district levy that applies town-wide).
| Municipality | City rate | Combined | On $400k | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Chapel Hill | $0.5000 | $1.3284* | $5,314/yr | 16,459 parcels |
| Town of Carrboro | $0.5653 | $1.3937* | $5,575/yr | 6,442 parcels |
| Town of Hillsborough | $0.5130 | $1.1935 | $4,774/yr | 4,458 parcels |
| City of Mebane | $0.3700 | $1.0505 | $4,202/yr | 2,426 parcels |
| City of Durham | $0.4371 | $1.1176 | $4,470/yr | 30 parcels |
Fire districts (unincorporated Orange County)
Outside municipal limits, a fire-district levy stacks on the county rate instead. Where a fire district overlaps a school-tax district, that levy stacks too (* = most parcels here also pay it).More on unincorporated Orange County →
| Fire district | District rate | Combined | On $400k | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Rural Fire District | $0.0921 | $0.7726 | $3,090/yr | 6,541 parcels |
| Efland Fire District | $0.0838 | $0.7643 | $3,057/yr | 4,750 parcels |
| Orange Grove Fire District | $0.0700 | $0.7505 | $3,002/yr | 3,570 parcels |
| Eno Fire District | $0.1071 | $0.7876 | $3,150/yr | 3,121 parcels |
| Little River Fire District | $0.0635 | $0.7440 | $2,976/yr | 2,374 parcels |
| Cedar Grove Fire District | $0.0754 | $0.7559 | $3,024/yr | 2,350 parcels |
| South Orange Fire Service District | $0.0817 | $0.9101* | $3,640/yr | 1,981 parcels |
| White Cross Fire District | $0.1400 | $0.8205 | $3,282/yr | 1,829 parcels |
| New Hope Fire District | $0.1250 | $0.9534* | $3,814/yr | 1,716 parcels |
| Damascus Fire District | $0.1150 | $0.9434* | $3,774/yr | 954 parcels |
| Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District | $0.1150 | $0.9434* | $3,774/yr | 316 parcels |
School tax district
A handful of NC counties levy a supplemental school tax on a defined area. In Orange County it stacks on top of the county rate (and any city or fire levy) for every parcel inside the district — city and rural alike.
| School district | Rate | Parcels |
|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools | $0.1479 | 28,151 |
Special districts
These levies stack on top of the base combined rate in specific areas — each appears in the zone table below exactly where it applies.
| Special district | Rate | Parcels |
|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill Downtown Service District | $0.0550 | 500 |
All 21 tax zones
Flat fees are separate: solid waste programs fee (orange county, per dwelling unit) $138.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Orange County property-tax rate for FY 2026–27?
The county levy is $0.6805 per $100 of assessed value. Nobody pays only that: every property adds either a municipal rate (inside a city or town) or a fire-district rate (outside), so real combined rates in Orange County run from $0.7440 to $1.3937.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Chapel Hill?
Inside Town of Chapel Hill the combined rate most parcels pay is $1.3284, so a $400,000 home pays about $5,314 a year before flat fees. In unincorporated Orange County the same home pays roughly $2,976–$3,814 depending on fire district and school district.
When was Orange County last revalued?
January 1, 2025 Assessed values from that revaluation are the base for these rates until the next revaluation. Rates themselves are re-adopted every June for the fiscal year starting July 1.
Why do some Orange County parcels pay unusual combinations?
Because bills follow recorded taxing districts, not simple city-limit rules: some parcels pay both a municipal levy and a fire-district levy, some carry special-district levies on top, and a few fringe areas pay no fire levy at all. Each combination appears as its own zone on our map — that is exactly what makes zone-level mapping more accurate than one number per city.
Sources: Adopted FY2026-27 budget ordinance ORD-2026-014 (packet pp. 11-21; tax levy pp. 15-16) (retrieved 2026-07-03) · County news release corroborating the adopted 68.05-cent county rate (retrieved 2026-07-03) · FY2025-26 rate-code table (code->levy map; 2026 sheet not yet posted) (retrieved 2026-07-03) · NCPTS bill portal — 8 rate codes verified against real FY2025-26 bills (retrieved 2026-07-03)